Wednesday, 22 November 2017

I've known of the performance advantages in competitive athletes who use a carbohydrate mouth rinse just before competition for some time now. It consists of swishing a sugary solution in your mouth and spitting it out just before competition. It stimulates reward pathways in your brain and can improve performance in competitions where every millisecond counts. This can be particularly helpful in Ketogenic athletes since they won't actually be ingesting any sugars and not altering their ketotic state.

This new article out of the JISSN however, opened my eyes to a broader topic that is relatable to almost everyone. Basically they found that a carbohydrate mouth rinse after exercise halted the decline in executive function associated with exercise. What makes this even more interesting is the fact that the researchers also measured stress hormones and found that the reason executive function was not hindered was the associated decrease in stress hormones found in test subjects who took the carbohydrate mouth rinse after exercise. So, athletic performance aside, what this article really outlines is that we simply cannot perform our best when under constant stress. Executive function deals with our ability to plan, pay attention, problem solve and remember things.

I'm not saying sugars are the answer here! I just want to point out that stress can immediately impact our cognitive abilities. Living constantly stressful lives without taking the time to meditate, enjoy hobbies, learn something new or just do things you love can have significant impacts on how you live your day to day life.

My favourite 2 apps that I recommend to almost everyone I see in practice for helping destress at home for free are Headspace and Down Dog. Headspace is a guided meditation app for your phone that you can set for as little as 2 minutes or as long as you can tolerate. Down dog is an amazing free yoga app that creates a new workout for you each time you use it and can be set to a time and difficulty level of your choosing. I love yoga for it's focus on breathing techniques while getting in some exercise and much needed stretching at the same time.

Let me know if any of you have other apps or things you like to do to help destress at the end of a long day or particularly difficult week. I'd love to hear and learn of new methods for myself and others!

Monday, 28 August 2017

What is it?

There are many forms of arthritis that can lead to the classic presentation of achy, swollen joints, however the form we tend to see the most of is Osteoarthritis or OA. OA is also know as the "wear and tear" type of arthritis. What this means is that over time the slippery cartilage that meet on each side of your joints and keep them gliding across one another painlessly has been damaged from an injury or worn out over time. Either way, what is left is a surface that is no longer smooth, and articulating bones that may now be exposed to one another. What results is pain and inflammation.

Who is affected?

Due to the nature of OA, the population that is most commonly affected are those over the age of 65. This is simply due to the fact that this group of people have had more time for their joints to wear against one another throughout their lives. That being said, OA can affect people of any age and is seen more so in people who have previously injured the affected joint, obese individuals (from increased stress of additional weight on certain joints) and those who have overused a specific joint (think baseball pitchers or sprinters).

What joints are affected?

Typically OA is a one sided condition where the pain and damage to the joints affects only one joint on one side of the body. This is not always true, multiple joints can be affected, however the distribution is usually not symmetrical. Symmetry in diseased joints may be indicative of other forms of arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis being the most common of these. The joints that are usually involved in OA include the hips, knees, fingers, feet and spine.

What are the symptoms?

Pain and stiffness are the most commonly reported symptoms of OA. Particularly morning stiffness that improves with motion throughout the day is very common. Swelling, heat and redness around affected joints is also fairly common especially after prolonged use of the joint. Other symptoms include a grating sensation with audible crackling or popping sounds (referred to medically as "Crepitus"), bony growths at affected finger joints, and even difficulty grasping or holding objects due to weakness or pain.

How can you help yourself?

Fortunately there are things you can do at home to help relieve some of the pain. Before any home treatments are initiated however, I do recommend confirming the diagnosis with your doctor and working together to treat the pain and prevent further erosion. That being said, here are my top 3 tips for helping resolve arthritic pain at home:

Reduce weight - If arthritis is affecting your hips, knees or feet and you are carrying around a few extra pounds, no other intervention will make as immediate an impact as a moderate reduction in weight. If done safely and slowly, it can take that extra stress off your joints, reducing pain and increasing your ability to begin and maintain a steady exercise routine. For more tips on weight loss read my 7 Tips For Successful Weight Loss.

Warm water pool exercises - Whether you're only able to walk or you can swim full lengths, nothing beats warm water pools as an effective pain relief method when it comes to arthritis. The buoyancy takes the weight and stress off your joints while the heat soothes and calms them. This, combined with gentle exercise to strengthen the surrounding muscles will have you feeling pain free and more mobile in no time!

Castor Oil - When applied topically to the affected joint, castor oil is an excellent anti-inflammatory intervention. It is absorbed into the skin and provides pain relief that is comparable to NSAIDs [1] (the standard drug prescribed) without any of the harmful side effects.

How can your naturopath help you?

In addition to these at home pain relief techniques, Naturopathic Doctors can use various modalities to suite your specific needs in accomplishing your pain management goals. Modalities such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, nutraceuticals, botanical medicines and the ever emerging prolotherapy and PrP techniques can all offer additional and complimentary benefits to the treatments you may already be undergoing. Remember not to try to tackle any condition without the help of a registered professional, instead, work with them in coming up with a treatment that works best for you!

Thursday, 20 April 2017

I've made these once before and they turned out great, so in preparation for some Sunday afternoon football I decided to give them another go and share the recipe with all of you. This recipe comes out great and takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Perfect dessert for those of you trying to keep the carbs low and the weight off!

I used a muffin tin and the easiest way to get these things out of there was right side up. So I guess that makes them upside down as far as lava cakes go. This recipe made 7 so you can adjust it to whatever suits your snacking needs:

Mix in the cocoa powder and xylitol together in a bowl. The better you combine them, the smoother your final product will be. In a separate bowl beat the eggs as the air will help with the rising of the cakes. Add the cream and vanilla extract to the eggs then combine with the cocoa powder/xylitol mixture. Lastly, add in the baking powder and salt and mix together until you get the mixture as smooth as possible.

Pour your mixture into a muffin tin, filling each spot about 1/2 way. Now for the baking aspect, remember that the smaller you make these guys the less time they'll need to bake. You don't want to overcook them or you'll just have cake and no lava. For this batch I went for 12 minutes and it left me with a decently gooey centre. I'd suggest maybe 11 minutes if you really want the lava to flow.

Try pairing these delicious cakes with some low carb ice cream right after they come out of the oven while they're still warm for some extra incredible, keto friendly, indulgent desserts!

Monday, 27 March 2017

Weight loss can be a tricky thing to accomplish. Many individuals will struggle with weight throughout their lives and it can become a health concern if left unchecked. We often don't even notice the 1-2 pounds per year, but these pounds add up. It is very important however, to understand that the media plays a large role in creating an unrealistic "ideal body" and having perfect abs and the tightest glutes around are not always the goal.

That being said, with the warmer weather around the corner, here are a few tips to cut down on those few extra pounds we didn't intend to gain over the cold and dark winter season...

1) Start your day with a Metabolic Boost!
Begin every morning with a nice glass of room temperature water with half a lemon squeezed into it. This acts to jump start your metabolism and is commonly used in many detox programs as well. Getting those calories burning after they had to slow down while you slept will impact how many calories you burn during the day even if you decide to not do anything else for weight loss!

2) Get Moving! Exercise!
Now I don't mean you have to join a gym and commit to going for 3 hours a day 7 days a week. If you're a beginner, try to walk a few extra minutes a day, take the stairs instead of the elevator (just a few floors will do!), pretend you drive a $300,000 sports car and park that beautiful thing just a bit further then all the other cars when you go to the mall or grocery store. Whatever you can add to your daily routine will impact your overall success. Do remember this though, the more muscle mass you put on, the easier the weight will be to lose and keep lost. Muscle costs your body more calories to maintain than fat does. Add resistance training to your routine to really boost those results!

If you're already a regular gym goer, there are still a few things you can do to really boost that fat loss! Let's be honest, straight up cardio can really suck. No need to worry though! It is not the only option! High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a combination of highly intense bouts of exercise followed by recovery periods that still require some movement. Not only are these exercises more fun, but in the same amount of time (or even less!), the body will burn more calories than it would with constant, moderate intensity cardio. It will even continue to burn fat long after you've stopped exercising as well!

Lastly, for those of you out there who are really keen, try adding a 4-5 minute finisher to the end of your routine. If you aren't familiar with the term, check out an example here. This stuff will really melt the fat off your body!

3) Get rid of refined carbohydrates!
I'm not trying to say you have to cut out all carbs in order to lose weight, but I do strongly recommend getting rid of any grain that starts with the word "white". Instead, make the switch to whole wheat/grain, wild or brown rice, and swap out white potatoes with sweet potatoes. These complex carbohydrates are slower digesting which means you'll stay full longer and your body has to work harder to break them down. Working harder means raising that metabolism once again and all you've done is add some color to your diet.
This does also mean cut out the sugar! Sugar is the enemy and it's hiding in almost anything you don't make for yourself. Sugar is super easy to break down and use as energy, which means anything else you eat in that meal is super easy for your body to store and save for later as fat! Get rid of the sugar and watch the fat melt away!4) Do not starve yourself!
This one is really important. Starvation diets are the absolute worst thing you can do to lose weight! Aside from not obtaining enough essential nutrients, you will actually hold on to more weight than you might expect. Your metabolism slows down in starvation states to preserve energy, holding on to weight in order to keep you alive. Not effective for healthy weight loss!
Instead, use a simple online calculator to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the amount of calories you will burn if you lay in bed all day and did nothing. NEVER drop your calories below this number! As a general rule, any diet under 1500 calories per day should be avoided. To lose weight successfully, focus on increasing metabolism through dietary choices and exercise and avoid doing things that will slow it down.5) Set SMART Goals!
Be Specific - "I want to lose weight" is not specific. Instead pick a number or a dress/pant size that you hope to accomplish by the end of your goal.Measure - Have a unit to track your goal in. Weight can fluctuate as you lose fat and put on muscle. It isn't really a great unit to track your progress. Try evaluating yourself by tracking how many notches on your belt you can tighten or your pant/dress sizes. If you have access, track your body fat percentage too!

Attainable - Make sure the goal you set is realistic. Don't set yourself up for failure by saying you want to lose 20% body fat when you're only at 26% to begin with. Make the goal 1 belt notch at a time and congratulate yourself when you're successful.

Relevant - Is losing weight something you actually want to do? Why? Make sure that if you decide to start on a weight loss journey it's because it's important to you and no one else.

Timely - We all know without deadlines nothing gets done. Procrastination is just so easy! Weight loss is no different! Set an end date. Whether that is your next birthday, New Years, or by the end of the month, make sure to give yourself an end date but always refer back to "A" , ensuring your goal is realistic and attainable.

6) Slow and steady wins the race!
Weight loss should never occur suddenly and rapidly. It is and should be a slow process. This is the best way to ensure success. Aim for no more than 2 pounds per week as an average. Some weeks you may notice that you've lost more than this, others may be under or stagnant. There's no need to measure weekly or even daily, instead take a look monthly as an overall average and make sure weight is not being lost too quickly. Dropping pounds too fast may mean you are limiting your calories by too much and this can lead to more problems down the road. A small deficit of 500 calories per day will be the equivalent of 1 pound of weight loss per week (3500 calories = 1 lb of fat).

7) Stress management!
This is my final tip and it is not spoken about often enough, however it can be that lingering factor affecting so many people who struggle to shed those last few pounds. This is especially true for belly fat in particular. Stress, more specifically cortisol production, can lead to abdominal fat deposits that just won't go away. Diet and exercise can have positive impacts, but if you don't take the time to slow down and breathe each day, that belly fat will be there to stay! So set aside a few minutes each day to meditate, breathe, relax, color, read or whatever it is you do to unwind. Simply making time for yourself can help you achieve those SMART goals you've set!

There it is, my top 6 ways to lose weight healthfully and effectively. Try it out for yourself and let me know how it works for you!

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

I was supposed to working on some assignments today so instead I decided to make a Keto friendly snack because... well you can't get much done when you're hungry, right? Procrastination baking commence! Full disclosure, I wasn't expecting much out of these muffins but they came out tasting great! So I'll share the recipe with you guys and you can try them for yourself.

I went for a chocolate, vanilla, almond crunch flavour but you can choose to play with the tastes as you wish. So what's in them?

4 nice big scoops of protein powder (I use a Whey isolate that is sweetened with vanilla and stevia)

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt (I would maybe add 2 next time)

2 tsp cinnamon (why not?)

2 tsp Xylitol

3 whole eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

300ml unsweetened coconut milk

As many nuts or seeds as you want - tip: add them after you've put the batter into a muffin tray so they can be more evenly distributed

Preheat that oven to 350F and after coating the muffin tray with some non stick spray, pour that mixed up batter in and let these protein packed snacks bake for around 18 minutes and bam! Low carb, high protein, great tasting, keto maintaining snacks for a week! Try them out!

For even more fatty goodness, try cutting one open after they're freshly baked and melting some butter on the insides before indulging!

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

So I was invited to team up with some colleagues to come up with an easy and fun way to exercise at the park. The weather is still nice out and gym memberships are expensive. Finding a close by park can be a great way to get fit and stay active. Check out the exercise routine we came up with and give it a try!

Do you ever get bored of your work-out routine? I definitely do. That's why this week, I reached out to friends and colleagues, Rob and Ryan, and asked (very nicely) if they could put me through the ropes.

I chose the playground location mainly as an excuse to spend more time outside, but it also allows for functional types of exercise that challenge muscles in a different way compared to using machines at the gym. It also felt more like play than exercise.

These guys definitely know their stuff when it comes to exercise (see their bios below). This circuit that they created is fun and challenging. Head to the playground and give it a go!

Playground Circuit: Repeat 2-3x. Take 10sec of rest between each exercise.

Start with a 2 min light warm up - jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks, and/or running on the spot.

1. Monkey BarPull-ups or Chin-ups

|10-15 reps|

Pull-ups: Rob's grip (back of hands facing self)

Chin-ups: My grip (palm of hands facing self)

Ryan's tip for beginners: If too difficult, begin by using platform on monkey bars (or get a boost from a spotter) and start in the top position of the chin up/pull up (as shown in picture). Slowly lower yourself down with control and repeat.

2. Lunges |10-15 reps each leg |

Tip: Don't let your forward knee go past your toes.

3. Plank high-fives |20 each side|

If by yourself, extend each arm out, one at a time, holding each for 1-2sec.

Tip: Try to keep your body as straight as possible without rocking side to side.

(note Ryan's form!)

4. Pole Climb - Up and down |1-2 reps |

A. Try using only your upper body to climb up and down, like Rob. (Trust me, easier said than done.)

Tip: Unlike Rob, I started off with a little jump, so the momentum gave me a boost vs. just pulling myself up from the ground.

5. Push ups |10-15 reps|

Keep your feet on an elevated platform (not pictured) for an extra challenge.

Tip: Keep elbows tucked into sides to isolate more of your triceps. Pointing your elbows outwards will engage other muscles, like your pecs.

6. Jump Squats |15-20 reps|

Starting on the ground, jump up and land on a step or elevated platform. Step down and repeat.

Tip: Try to land so that your knees don't go past your toes.

For an added challenge, jump down into a squat vs. just stepping off.

7. Swing extension |10 reps|

This one is a major ab burner!

Fully extend body and hold for 1 sec before returning to starting position.

Tip: The further you initially stand from the swing, the further you extend and the harder this exercise becomes.

You can do this on your knees as a modification, but you may want a towel to kneel on (the gravel in the sand really hurts!)

That's 1 set! When you're finished, don't forget to stretch :)

More about the author:

Michelle Jackson is an intern at RSNC and BNTC. She is on the fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue focus shift and has a strong interest in fatigue and pain management. Check out her blog and website where she and 4 other interns post weekly articles and bi-weekly recipes! http://www.wholeandholistic.com

More about Ryan:

Ryan has experience in high performance sport, playing for both Toronto FC and the University of Toronto while studying Kinesiology. He went on to receive his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) designation from the NSCA and is currently working with clients at Physiomed Roytec. Check out his blog too! http://naturopathywithryan.blogspot.ca

Thursday, 25 August 2016

The Ketogenic diet has been used primarily as a weight loss diet in the past (and a very effective one at that), however more recent research has surfaced showing great promise for it's use in various diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, diabetes and even cancer.

So what is it?

The Keto diet follows the premise of consuming a high fat and low carbohydrate diet with adequate amounts of protein. The percentage of total caloric intake per day are as follows:
Calories from fat: 60-75%
Calories from protein: 15-30%
Calories from carbohydrates: 5-10%
Carbs are the primary energy source of the body. They are easily converted to glucose and used as energy, but excess amounts can just as easily be stored as fat. With the Keto diet, carbs are reduced to an amount that is not sufficient enough to sustain the energy needs of the body. Because of this, the body is forced to adapt. It is this adaptation which enables the previously mentioned benefits of this diet to occur.

Ketogenesis is the process of breaking down and converting stored fat into ketones for energy use. The brain can only use glucose and ketones as energy, so when there is no more glucose around, ketones become the primary source of fuel. This means that lowering the amount of carbs you consume and entering a state of ketosis allows you to burn fat without even having to think about it! This is the premise behind why the weight loss is so effective and the ketone bodies themselves seem to be where the health benefits arise from.

5 Health Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
Following a Ketogenic diet is not something that should be tackled without seeking the advice of a professional, especially if the benefits being sought are for the aid of medical conditions. That being said, there is a lot benefit to be obtained and if weight loss or disease control is something that is of interest, book an appointment and consult a medical professional first.

1. Glycemic control
Following a Keto diet has been proven to significantly impact glycemic control, leading to a decrease in blood glucose. This makes sense considering the absence of carbohydrates and sugars in the diet, but it does warrant supervision in diabetic patients who are medicated since blood sugar may drop too low.

2. Anti-inflammatory
While not a heavily researched area of the Ketogenic diet, it is inherently effective as an anti-inflammatory diet due to the elimination of proteins like gluten, and refined sugars. Further modifications can easily be incorporated on a case by case basis in order to ensure specific intolerances are avoided.3. Weight loss
Weight loss on a Ketogenic diet comes easy. You are literally burning fat while just sitting around. Now I wouldn't recommend relying on diet alone, exercise is very important for more than just weight loss purposes, but calories still do play a role in how much weight can be lost. This diet itself however, does not feel very restrictive when it comes to consumption of foods. Once your body adjusts to working off of fat, satiety is achieved and maintained for much longer than a carbohydrate heavy diet. This means without even realizing, you'll be consuming less calories.
Less calorie consumption + constant fat burning = weight loss
Weight loss on it's own has additional benefits including lowering blood pressure, decreasing pain associated with arthritis, improving diabetic control, and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.4. Energy
Who couldn't use more energy? While on the Ketogenic diet, there will be an initial drop in energy and increase in hunger as your body adapts to these changes that are occurring. I can tell you from personal experience that they are not great BUT they do pass. If you stick with the dietary changes, after a few days the hunger will decrease, the mental clarity will improve and you stop experiencing periods of grogginess and fatigue that typically accompany a crash in energy after a carbohydrate or sugar dense meal. These changes are quite noticeable and lasting. They are most definitely worth the first few days of unhappiness. The trade off is a much longer lasting increase in energy and mental clarity.5. Performance
While specific research in the area of exercise performance is difficult to come by, the consensus of athletes who follow a Ketogenic diet seem to all be in favour of this way of eating. When you break it down it really just makes sense for a variety of athletes. First benefit, fat loss.. More lean muscle, less weight to carry around. That alone is beneficial for most. Next benefit, efficient use of fat as energy. This means fat burning fuel is the first and last energy source. There will be no crossover between carbohydrate stores to fat stores and a crash in energy. All you're left with is a consistent conversion of energy from fat. This is useful for the endurance athlete, who has to rely on fat as a fuel source during long bouts of exercise. With the great majority of endurance performance coming from fat burning anyway (pretty much anything after 20 minutes), having optimized this method of energy conversion prior to an event can only be beneficial.
I recently experienced this first hand and can attest to the claims made by others who follow this way of eating. Patience and timing are factors that need to be considered though, if performance enhancement is your goal. There is an adaptation period in which your performance (particularly endurance) will take a drastic hit. I learned this early on by attempting to go for a light jog within 5 days of starting my Keto diet experience. After about 1 minute of jogging I felt like I had run a full marathon (or at least what I might imagine that would feel like). I don't recommend doing that at all, instead, give it some time and try to save the more serious endurance events for closer to 1 month after starting. If you persevere, you will notice drastic changes in your performance.

What to eat?!
Avoiding carbs is not all that bad! At first it feels like a daunting task, especially if you are not prepared for it. My number one tip for being successful at following through with these dietary changes is to remove temptations from your eating space. Pick a day that you want to start. In the days leading up to this, either consume or throw out any and all sources of temptation! Eat up all that pasta, have a few cookies, dump that pop down the sink and don't pretend you forgot to clean out the freezer! Not having these foods around will make things a lot easier.

Once that's out of the way, make sure you stalk up so you don't go hungry. Start to replace those foods you've gotten rid of with Keto friendly options such as:

Dessert (Yes, you can still have dessert. You just have to get a little creative. I suggest looking up Keto friendly dessert recipes but anything made with coconut, cocoa, cinnamon or high fat dairy is perfectly fine)

*Peanuts - Some debate here but I love my peanut butter so you can't make me not include it! Just go for ones without anything added.
**Fish - Stick to smaller fish as the primary source here as larger fish like tuna and sword fish have higher amounts of bioaccumulated toxins like mercury. Sardines are the best bet but salmon and white fish sized fish are fine as well.
***Zucchini - Get your hands on a vegetable spiralizer and replace spaghetti with a zucchini imposter! Try butter and sage as the sauce.

The key to success and maximizing the benefits that can be obtained from following this diet is choosing foods that are good for you! Yes, it is a high fat diet, but that doesn't mean you should be deep frying everything you eat. Try as much as possible to bake, steam, boil and add the above mentioned oils raw as a drizzle on top of already cooked foods. If done correctly, this high fat diet can actually reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (the bad one), and increase HDL cholesterol (the good one)!
Remember that starting a diet like this is not something you should tackle on your own. Always seek the assistance of a medical professional before tackling major voluntary dietary changes especially if you're seeking therapeutic results. That being said, if this fat burning, energy producing, glycemic stabilizing diet sounds like something that interests you, book an appointment and get the wheels in motion!